Rebirth and Renew
by Spoiler1001
Summary: Zero and X have a mission: to make nice with a mystery girl who can undo the sigma virus. That being said, Zero and the girl will not get along, or can they. Oc. Set in minor au
1. Chapter 1

It's sad how the most broken people, the ones with the bleeding spirit, are the ones who can be the nicest. It's heartbreaking how they can also be the most bitter and hating and distrustful. X and Zero are these such people. X's demons are with his enemy that keeps coming back no matter what is done to him. Zero...well Zero suffers from a broken heart. Those two were closest friends, despite extreme personality differnces. They were sleeping in recovery pods when a mission was called needing both reploids' abilities. They walked to mission control where Alia was typing anxiously. Signas was lookin over screens and gritting his teeth.

"I assume you are aware of how potent the Sigma virus is." Signas said as he looked at a screen. Both reploids nodded. He put the video he was watching up on the big screen it showed a young girl, late teens at the video was in black in white, but anyone could see what she was doing. Wen ever she touched a maverick, a light was peaking through the inner wires. When the light faded the maverick was purified, and it colasped, but by the time it hit the ground, she had moved on to the next one.

"Is she...?" X muttered.

"The effect isn't permenant, but this is cause for concern. We don't know the extent of her abilities, or where she stands." Signals said. "We want you to find her and convince her to stay on our side." Both X and Zero nodded.

"Where should we start?" Zero said, his long hair moving with his head.

"I would suggest that you try the surface." Signas answered.

The two reploids nodded and left to start their mission. The helmets were taken off and they wore normal clothes over their armor. X wore a long baggy blue jacket with dark blue jeans. Zero wore a red jacket with black jeans, his blond hair in a higher than normal ponytail. They asked around and Noone saw her, or knew what they were talking about. All except one. A brunette girl of a questionable occupation.

"I work with her. She goes by Nicky." The girl said. "She usually hangs out by the old houses. People love her there."

X blushed slightly at the implications. Zero smirked at his friend's face. "Thank you for your cooperation." Zero told her.

"Yeah no problem. Just don't let her take anymore of my clients." She said and walked off. Zero glared at the air as they made their way to the old houses. They saw a young woman with platinum white hair walking away from them. She was wearing a gray tank top showing off her phoenix tattoo on her back. She had black fingerless gloves with matching pants. Her boots were gray like her shirt and with heels that look like pointed knives. She looked like someone who would kill and maim instead of suduce and please. They two hunters followed her until she walked into an old diner. They followed her in and noted that she was sitting in a corner booth, away from the door and most of the people, but facing the door, like someone who could watch would do so in this seat.

The two joined her in the seat. Her green eyes looked at them with distrust, but she gave them a friendly smile.

"And what would I do for you two fine gentlemen?" She purred out. Zero glared at her while X looked away.

"We just want to know why you are attacking the mavericks and why you have that...unique ability." X mumbled, looking at a spot on the floor.

"And you expect me to just tell you my life story?" She chuckled bitterly. "You need to pay for that." She smiled mirthlessly. Both hunters head shot straight up. X with shock and Zero from frustration

"We don't do that." Zero said with little emotion.

"Of, course not. With you two, my services aren't required." She smiled and stood up. Her eyes gleamed dangerously. The forest green turned neon and her hands turned gray and shiny, like polished steel. She looked Zero in the eyes. "I won't get in your way if you stay out of mine." Zero clenched his jaw. She grabbed his hand. A green light lit dimly between the two. Zero's eyes widened. She pulled away. "Something to remember me by."


	2. Chapter 2

The light faded and Zero looked at his hand. It was the same as it normally was. X looked at Nicky's receding figure while Zero blinked.

"What did she do to to me?" he snarled. The two of them shot up and ran after her, but she vanished, leaving behind an earing. It was an angel wing. Cheap, not real silver or gold.

The two hunters returned to HQ with teeth clenched. Zero was gripping his hand there wasn't any physical damage, but something felt off about it. He went to a room in the back to get his arm scanned. X followed. Putting his arm in the scanner, he saw something that was shocking to say the least. Whatever she gave him, was binding to his Zero virus and was fighting the virus that would make him go maverick again. The two hunters looked on as the anti-virus was overwhelmed by the Zero virus and degenerated into nothing.

"She-" Zero mumbled in shock. X ran to tell Signas, leaving Zero to stare at his arm.

When X caught up with Signas, X was practically vibrating with excitement.

"We discovered what gives her her ability to 'cure' the virus!" X almost yelled.

"Oh, have you? Where's Zero?" Signas raised an eyebrow. Zero was running to catch up with his friend.

"Here. But there is a complication in the mission. She won't tell us anything until we pay her." Zero said. X chuckled nervously.

"We'll just have to pay her then." Signas said. Zero's eyes snapped up.

"She a loose cannon; how do we know she'll be honest." Zero said, loudly enough for his refusal to be obvious.

"Well then, if she lies, we'll just have to keep a close eye on her." Signas smirked at his subordinates uncomfortable looks. "However I don't think that will be the case."

"You think she'll tell us everything?" Zero asked disbelievingly. Signas shook his head.

"I think that she'll tell enough to conduct an investigation of our own." Signas answered. X and Zero nodded. They returned to the recovery pods where Zero had dreams of a lost love.

The next day came too soon for him. Zero blinked and saw X waiting for him to wake up.

Meanwhile on the surface, Nicky was washing her make up. He hair was down and knotted. She decided that she'd brush it later, at the current moment, she just wanted to sleep. However fate had other plans. A loud sonic boom reverberated through the worn down warehouse that she deemed safe enough for her to hide for the time being. Her entire body flashed metalic silver for an instant and she haphazardly put her hair into a bun. Pulling out her remaining earring, she ran out the building to see what had caused the noise. Mavericks had tracked her down. She had no choice but to fight, fortunately for her, someone else had the same idea. A blue laser flew past her head. X and Zero had come to help her.

"My heroes!" Nicky yelled half sarcastically. Zero ignored her and focused on his opponent while X finished his opponent off and smiled at her. Zero soon finished his opponent as well and grabbed her arm,dragging her away from the fight.

"Ever the Gentleman." Nicky deadpaned. She was slightly shorter than him, so she had to look up at him. Zero spun her so she was facing him.

"We want answers. Now." Zero half growled. Nicky never lost her composure.

"Why would I tell you anything." She said smiling softly. Zero clenched his teeth. X tried to get in between the two, but to no avail. Nicky stepped closer to Zero.

"I'm not going to tell you a damn thing. That must bother you." She cooed. Zero snapped and pushed her against the wall. She grunted from the impact. "Maybe if you ask nicely I'll answer one question."

Zero stepped away from her. X watched him and cautiously asked a single question.

"Why are you going after mavericks?"


	3. Chapter 3

"Sigma hurt me so I'm hurting back. It's that simple." She said in a monotone voice. The two hunters snapped their heads towards her. "Speaking of which…" She pushed the two hunters aside. She let her skin turn completely metal and jumped on the maverick. The bot stumbled back and Nicky hand glowed the sickly green. She touched it and the circuits flowed under the metal skin. The maverick fell back.

Her skin turned back to its soft pink texture. "Is that all, or do you still feel like interrogating me?" She said, putting her hand on her hip. The two hunters stayed quiet. "Well then. I'll be leaving." With that she left. "The next time you see a maverick invasion, I'll be in the center of the hellstrom." She said as she vanished into the city.

Later at the HQ Zero was looking at his hand.

"What could Sigma have done to her that would warrant a one woman army against him." Zero said to no one in particular.

"Maybe he didn't pay her." a nameless maverick hunter said.

The glare Zero gave him will haunt him for the rest of his life.

X walked into the room to talk to him about what should they do about Nicky. Zero barely acknowledged him.

"We know that she has a connection to Sigma." X said.

"No. We know she wants to kill him." Zero corrected. "How about you go see her tonight."

"Why can't you do it?" X asked surprised.

Zero smirked. "I don't think so. We'd probably kill each other."

X nodded "I still want backup in case Mavericks attack."

"I think she's got it covered." Zero said removing his helmet.

"I think you don't want to see her." X said, smirking. "I'll admit she can still be regarded as a threat, but not enough for you to run away."

"I'm not running away!" Zero snapped. "I just …. Fine I'll go." He sighed.

Later that night, Nicky was talking with a client. Her earings were cheap hoops and her hair was braided in a French braid. She was smiling, but it was a fake smile. It was one that someone would wear if they were dead inside.

X and Zero found her talking to him. Zero gritted his teeth. The idiot looked sleezy and she looked miserable. He could stop himself from running over to them with X on his heels.

The guy was screaming curses and threats when Zero pulled him away from her. Nicky raised an eyebrow but didn't raise a finger to help the guy.

"Don't tell me you were jealous." Nicky smirked and stood up. "What can I do for you two fine gentlemen." X looked away from Her and down the world.

"We need to talk." X said calmly.

Nicky shook her head. "I told you. You need to pay for…." She said as Zero handed her the money. She counted it and shook her head. "This is enough for five hours of my time."

"That's what we need." X said looking at her.

"If you really want this. I'll tell you all my little secrets." Nick smiled and lead them to the diner. She sat across from Zero and X. She ordered food and her face lit up like a bulb when it arrived.

"We should start with the small questions first. What's your real name?" X asked quietly even hough they were the only customers in the diner.

"My name's Veronica." She said smiling. "I don't use my last name." Her smile faultered.

"Wait. You said last name…" Zero said.

Nicky was opening her mouth to answer when her skin turned metalic and she was town against the oposite wall. Her skin was faded back to her normal pink color as she fell unconscious.


	4. Chapter 4

Zero and X picked themselves up from the remains of the diner. Shaking their heads to clear it, Zero looked around. The humans were relatively safe, having been behind the counter at the time of the blast. Looking around, Zero realized someone was missing.

"Where's Veronica?" asked Zero with wide eyes. X's whipped around, scanning the rubble for signs of life. Picking up a faint pulse, he pointed where the ceiling collapsed. Zero sprinted to it and pulling away the cement and bricks. He let out a breath that he didn't know he was holding. She was bruised, but breathing. He gently pulled her out of the rubble. X helped hold up the rubble until she was out safely.

They carried her back to HQ and laid her out on a table. Her breathing was labored and her skin was halfway between metallic and normal. Zero and X were kicked out of the room to make room for the med team.

"What happened?!" Signas asked through clenched teeth. He was looking at the two. X looked at the commander and sighed.

"We fucked up." X answered. Zero raised an eyebrow at the use of language.

"I could have told you that." Signas snapped. "What will happen if she dies on that table?"

"That won't happen." A nurse said. "Her body is mending itself."

Zero narrowed his eyes. "How?"

"Her body contains little microscopic machines that destroy viruses both mechanical and biological. That's what makes her skin turn into that metallic alloy." The doctor clarified. The other nurses and doctors walked out of the room. X and Zero walked in and saw that she was putting her hair up in a pony tail.

"Thanks for fishing me out of the rubble." She whispered. She looked physically exhausted. She walked out of the room with the two hunters on her heels.

"We still need answers." Zero said removing his helmet. She turned on his heel and looked up at him.

"You don't need anything. You _want_ answers. And I'm sure the doctors told you everything." Veronica calmly said. Neither one of the reploids said anything. "That's what I thought."

She walked away from them and towards the exit. The two let her go.

She left them and didn't look back.

The next week saw another maverick invasion. Of course with a majority of the hunters turning maverick, Zero and X were the majority of the fighting force. They tore through dozen of bases and Mavericks, but one the last one where Sigma was hiding, someone had got to it before they could.

Zero and X heard sounds of fighting in the distance past the rubble and carnage. The two looked at each other and ran to help whoever was fighting. To their surprise she brought the fight to them.

"Surprise boys!" She yelled as she was fighting Sigma with what looks like a scythe. She spun it expertly. Her hair fell out of her holders and it flowed freely. Her eyes gleamed dangerously and her skin was a steely gray. She let out a crackling laugh. "What took you so long?"

"We had to work our way up." X said. Veronica chuckled.

"I almost feel bad for you." She smirked. Zero slashed at Sigma and cut out an eye.

Sigma yelled curses and slashed wildly at the air, slamming Zero in to the wall. X went to get him and Veronica calmly sliced off his head. Sigma fell and she dropped the scythe.

"Zero.." Veronica whispered, shaking him awake.

His head snapped up, but something was wrong.

X yanked Veronica back and Zero gave a psychotic smirk. She yelped in surprise.

"What the hell?" She asked. X sighed.

"Sometimes he becomes susceptible to the Sigma virus." X sighed. "it'll fade in a few minutes, but until then…" he gestured towards Zero.

"I bet I can speed up the process." She smirked and ran towards the maverick hunter.

He charged towards her as well, but she was too fast for him and tripped him up. He snarled at her but she didn't seem to be two disturbed by it. In fact she seemed to smirk at it. Zero drew his sword, but surprisingly didn't swing it. She ran up towards him and let her skin return to a metallic silver and ducked when he threw a kick at her.

"Now Zero, where are your manners? Don't you know how to treat a lady?" She whispered coyly and moved closer to Zero. Before either of them could react, she kissed Zero and a neon green light surrounded him. When she pulled away, Zero collapsed and looked at her in shock.

Veronica chuckled softly. "I guess my services are necessary after all."


	5. Chapter 5

Zero and X walked away from the battle in shock. X was supporting Zero. Suddenly Zero let out a bitter chuckle.

"She has guts." He muttered. X looks at him and smiled.

"Yeah, you can say that. But I gotta ask: what was it like?" X asked raising an eyebrow. Zero blushed and looked away from him.

"It was...fine." Zero grumbled. The rest of the walk was relatively silent. When they got to HQ X dashed Zero to the scanner room. They got there just in time for them to see the Anti virus being consumed by the Zero virus. Zero clenched his hand into a fist. "But I almost-"

"-Did apsolutely nothing. She could handle you fine, and she did." X said putting his hand on Zero's shoulder.

Meanwhile Veronica was smiling in her mirror. She had not only beaten Zero in a fight she also kissed him. Humming a little tune she was falling asleep in a dingy motel for the night.

At HQ Zero was going back into his recovery pod for the night. X was talking to Signas about Veronica.

"She's on our side." X said. "or more accurately She's on Zero's side." X smirked as Zero shot him a dirty look.

"Oh really? Is that true Zero?" Signas said raising an eyebrow.

"Shut up" was heard being yelled across the room.

After a two hour nap, Veronica was walking around the old houses drinking with some people. She was walking down an ally way when she froze. Turning her skin metal, she turned to see her opponent.

"How, but I-" She said in a small wavering voice. A tall figure grabbed her and she tried to scream, but no sound came out. The figure shush ed her and brushed some hair out of her face.

"Don't fear, my little reaper," Sigma whispered into her ear. She began struggling, but her metal skin failed her, leaving her at her default human form. The grip on her hand left buses that would hurt the next day.

Her eyes turned neon green, but her powers weren't working. Instead, she gasped and became motionless. He put his hand to her throat and his eyes gleamed purple. Veronica had tears flowing through her now violet eyes.

"I'll kill you, you son of a bitch." She said as purple light surrounded her.

"Maybe someday but today, today, you are my reaper. And I say that you reap the souls of your news friends. Especially the creation of the man who ruined your life."

Veronica sighed and closed her eyes. When she opened them, she wasn't Veronica, she was a maverick. She gave him a blank look and and he smiled victoriously.

At the HQ an alarm went off that brought Zero and X to the command room.

"There's been a Maverick reading. However this one's unigue. It's fading in and out like the maverick is fighting whatever has taken control of it. I suggest you two go look at it, see if you can save this one.

The two meet the maverick in an empty field. Zero reconciled it as Veronica immediately. However, she was walking stiffly, like every move hurt her. Her hair flowed freely, coming down to her knee. Her eyes where a dark purple and her scythe was sharper and seemingly bigger. She limped over to them dragging the scythe behind her and tears flowing freely from her face. Her smile was psychotic and bitter. Her jeans and shirt were in tattered ruins leaving her barely covered. Her voices held a tiny rasp when she spoke.

"I see you found me boys. I was wondering if I'd have to fight you at your HQ." She said, looking strait through them. "Did you know I met one of Doctor Wiley's creations. Killed my family. Ruined my life. Zero…" She whispered as she snapped her head towards him. "you're gonna pay for that monster's crimes."

With that, she raised her scythe and swung it at Zero. Missing him completely. X suck around behind her and grabbed her. Her skin turned metal and she punched him in the face. She breathing was labored and she could barely stand. She let out a feral roar as she ran towards Zero. He dodge out of the way of a punch. He grabbed her am and twisted it behind her back.

"Are you going to kill me? Just like you did to Iris?" She asked and his eyes widened and he let go of her. "You almost did earlier today." She smirked. X looked between the two of them and grabbed her arm. She let out a broken cry.

"That didn't go down like everyone thinks it did." X said. "c'mon fight this." He said holding her.

Her eyes flashed green and her skin turned back to human. "I can't Sigma did something to my Mircobots their not killing the virus." She whimpered. X responded by putting her into a choke hold until she passed out.

"We need to get her to HQ." Zero said as X gave him the unconscious body of Veronica.


	6. Chapter 6

They placed her in an empty glass cell, and scanned her. The good news was that the Anti viruses were fighting the maverick virus, but the bad news was that she was in unspeakable pain as it was happening. She was halfway between metallic and normal skins and her heart was beating dangerously fast. Add it to the fever and she was not going to be conscious for a while. Zero looked at her with sadness in his eyes.

"He's going to pay for doing this to her." Zero said, angry. No, not angry. Furious. "I am going to rip him apart."

"No you're not." Signas said looking at him. "You are going to stand guard. In case she wakes up still a maverick." Zero didn't argue. X went looking of Sigma while Zero watched her lay on her back sweat and tears causing her skin to become a shiny color. Her hair was spread out like a halo around her as her fever rose. Zero walked in with a cool rag to help with the fever. She subconsciously flinched when he began to dab the sweat off of her body. He was doing this for a while when she woke up.

"Zero…" She asked Voice raspy, "Sigma, he…" She whispered before he shushed her.

"We know." He said soothingly. "you're fighting the virus as we speak." At this She sighed and closed her eyes in self-loathing.

"I tried to kill you and X didn't I." She sighed. It wasn't a question. It was a statement of fact. He looked like he was going to object, but she cut him off. "I did. And I'm sorry." She looked away from him. He pulled her chin up to face him.

"Sigma did this to you, and you're beating this." He said and placed a chaste kiss onto her forehead. She smiled softly and wiped the tears out of her eyes.

Meanwhile X was tearing apart the current maverick HQ. Mouth set into an angry frown, he was searching for Sigma. The prey showed himself eventually to the hunter.

"why?" X snarled at him. "why do that to her?"

Sigma laughed joyfully. "Because it amused me." He smiled. "It amused me to think that you three would destroy each other. Imagine her face when she woke up because I knew she would and realised that she had destroyed her newest friends"

"You're sick, you know that?" X asked seething. He gritted his teeth and fired the a laser shot into him. It blew away Sigma's arm. And this began a brutal battle.

X ran in firing multiple shots and dodged the incoming attacks except for one. It made the teeth in his head rattle.

"Damn you." X grunted. "Your bastardization of what reploids are is over."

"You wish...but I see potential in you." Sigma smiled. "It's a shame you don't see it."

"What I see is a persistent asshole who doesn't know when to quit." X sneered and put his laser gun directly to Sigma's chest and fired through him. He fell in a heap of metal. X calmly walked away and was teleported away.

Zero was sitting with Veronica as she continued to sleep off the virus. Her fever was broken and she was breathing evenly. Her head was on Zero's lap as he gently ran his fingers through her hair. X smiled at the sight.

"She's a good fighter. She's pretty much beaten this." Zero said ending the silence. X smiled. That was good news. Zero stopped running his fingers through her hair and picked her up bridal style. She groaned in protest of the movement but didn't wake up.

"When she wakes up we'll ask her if she wants to join the maverick hunters." X said.

Zero didn't object. He held her closer and she didn't stir.

"What did you do to him?" Zero said as he found a little cot for her to sleep on. Gently putting her on it, he looked at X.

"Enough. I did enough to him." X said, disappointed in himself. "I'm retiring." He said eventually.

"What?" Zero's head snapped up.

"I lost my cool. It can't happen again." X explained to Zero.

"Everyone does that, X." Zero said, trying to convince X.

"What'll happen if I go maverick?" X asked.

"That wouldn't happen." Zero said.

"My mind's made up." X said with finality. Zero sighed and nodded.

The next day X filed his resignation letter. That sent shock rippling across the entire foundation of the maverick hunters. Veronica was surprised as well when she heard the news.

"What the hell do you mean you're retiring?" Veronica asked X, her voice sharp. X calmly explained his reasoning and she sighed.

"Who will replace you?" Veronica asked.

"You will." X said. She laughed.

"I impressed you with my skills." She smirked and cocked her head to the side.

"Actually you did." X smiled genuinely. She blinked in surprise and the two of them walked to the mission control where Alia waiting to give Zero and Veronica their new mission.

"Veronica...You'll need a codename." Alia said.

"Reaper." She said with a small smile. Zero raised an eyebrow. X's eyes widened.

"Bit violent isn't it." X asked.

"It has to be. The Mavericks need something to fear. And Everyone fears the reaper." Veronica smiled as her eyes flashed Neon green.

"Then Reaper, you and Zero have a to deal with a maverick, destroying a small human village."

"Let's go." Reaper smiled and Zero nodded curtly.


End file.
